A community organization calling itself Arts for MCS is proposing a three-year plan to expand the role of the arts in Macon County Schools.
Teachers Maggie Jennings and Sara O’Neal told school board members at their Jan. 27 meeting that they, as well as the dozens of other parents of Macon County students who filled the boardroom, feel the county could do more to give students artistic opportunities.
As of now, Macon Middle School has no arts program outside of its band. While Franklin High School has chorus and theater programs, enrollment suffers due to a lack of feeder programs. The FHS theater, like the rest of the school, is about half a century old. The four elementary schools share two arts teachers who only get to teach in 20-25 minute blocks.
“By the time that students get in and out of the classroom, [teachers have had] a total of 20-25 minutes for everything,” Jennings said. “For teaching, for wiping noses, for cleaning up paint. … Our children are expected to create in that time in addition to instruction, and it’s only once a week.”
Arts for MCS presented a three-year plan for expanding arts education in the school system. Year one would see the addition of positions for elementary school art and music teachers, middle school arts and chorus teachers, and a part-time arts education coordinator for the whole county. The plan also calls for the installation of two double-classroom modular units to create enough space for classes at East Franklin and Cartoogechaye elementary schools.
In year two, more positions would be added, the coordinator would become a full-time employee, and the school system would start accepting bids for a new fine arts center at Franklin High. The facility would be completed in year three, when the plan shifts mostly to refining student and community engagement in existing classes. The presenters feel that taking these steps would ensure a better state of mental health among the student body and greater engagement in the rest of their studies.
“There’s just so many benefits to arts education,” Jennings said. “We could really spend all night talking about the research. It’s incredibly backed up.”
The school board members had not heard the three-year proposal before the Jan. 27 meeting and said they did not have adequate information to vote on anything. They also said that many restrictions on arts programs are the result of circumstances beyond their control, such as recent state reductions of maximum class sizes that have forced existing art teachers to work out of a cart.
“North Carolina mandated that class sizes be reduced,” superintendent Chris Baldwin said. “What that means is that there will be fewer students per teacher in each classroom, but it will also mean that we will need more classroom space. … Cartoogechaye will lose those art classrooms next year. I believe East Franklin has already lost those classrooms this year.”
However, they did offer their support for Arts for MCS as the organization plans to seek funding from the Macon County Board of Commissioners to jumpstart the plan. Regardless of what happens next, board chairman Jim Breedlove said it was encouraging to see so many Macon County families show up to support their children’s enrichment.
“I love when people are passionate,” Breedlove said. “Obviously, anything that would benefit our students is welcome. We appreciate everyone coming here and showing your support. It means a lot to all of us. It makes an impression, I promise you.”